


Redemption

by rosedarkling



Series: The Sataivlis Files [5]
Category: Deep-Sea Prisoner, Mogeko, Okegom, funamusea, 海底囚人, 海底囚人 | Deep-Sea Prisoner, 灰色庭園 | Haiiro Teien | The Gray Garden
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Past Abuse, Redemption, Relationship(s), Sexual Content, will add more tags as the story develops
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26875759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosedarkling/pseuds/rosedarkling
Summary: The past is the past. Things change as time ticks ever onward, and so do people. However, memories can still haunt the minds of those who have committed sins. Can redemption ever be found for a devil?This is the sequel to "Why?," and the finale to the Sataivlis files.
Relationships: Etihw/Kcalb (Gray Garden), Ivlis/Satanick (Gray Garden)
Series: The Sataivlis Files [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1867051
Comments: 22
Kudos: 63





	1. Shelter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so very much for sticking with me on this journey of fics! This one will probably be a somewhat fairly long fic; not quite sure how long yet, but I'm pleased to bring this sequel and finale to this series. I adore the Sataivlis ship, and I want them to be happy even among the drama, lol. XD 
> 
> That being said, I hope you all enjoy this little ride that I want to take you on. I have several other fics I am working on as oneshots and finishing up some other series, so I apologize if this takes a while to complete among the other works and my day job. 
> 
> Once more, I thank you all for your love and support! You are the best! :D <3

_“Ah, so stupid…. What a shame, Ivlis!”_

_Ivlis immediately could feel his body tensing up and his heart ripping to shreds. The words spoken by Lord Siralos pierced right through him – a feeling he had not felt in decades. The last time he had seen his lord had been when he had been cast out of the one place he called home; yet, here he was, standing before him as Ivlis lie face down on the cold, hard floor. The man's yellow-orange eyes pierced right through him; Ivlis did not even dare meet his gaze, yet he could still feel it burning right through him._

_Why had Satanick done this?_

_“Look at what you’ve become. Nothing but a sexual toy. I really shouldn’t have created you. This proves that even I commit mistakes.”_

_Stop…._

_No more...._

_Ivlis could not take this anymore._

_He had lost it all that day – the day that he had questioned his lord. Why hadn’t he kept his big mouth shut? Regrets swirled inside of him as he could feel the icy cold daggers slicing its way through his body. His throat felt as if it would close off, and Ivlis welcomed that sensation. If he stopped breathing, perhaps he could die. Death would be a sweet release in lieu of having to hear these words that scalded and froze him all at once. Not even a choked whisper could be uttered at this point. All Ivlis could do was lie there like the dog he was, arms tied behind his back and a red collar and chain leash attached to his neck._

_He would give anything in the world to make this pain and trembling stop as the tears cascaded down his face, unbeknownst to the man that stood over him. Ivlis could not even lift his head, nor did he want to. If he could simply fade away into the darkness that hovered at the edges of his mind, he gladly would have._

_"Be ashamed of yourself, you filthy demon!"_

_Ivlis welcomed the darkness that now swept across his mind as the tears burned hot trails down his face. Funny how they would not stop._

Ivlis moaned in his sleep, restless. Halfway between consciousness and unconsciousness, Ivlis felt the touch of a hand upon his shoulder; this was the jolt needed to waken him fully. With a gasp and a shattering scream, Ivlis bolted up as if into a sitting position. Tears that had been pouring past his closed eyelids flung out as he jolted upright. As the images began to fade from his mind’s eye, Ivlis could recognize through his hazy vision the purple drapes around the bed he was occupying. Soon, the dark shape that was now sitting next to him materialized into the familiar image of the devil lord whom owned this bed.

Trying to steady his somewhat heavy breathing, Ivlis turned his gaze to the hand that was clasped onto his shoulder. There, he found the familiar porcelain hand with the black finger nails on his own pale skin. Even in the dark lighting of the night, the glint of silver could be seen on Satanick’s left hand – that familiar ring that proved to anyone that saw it that Ivlis and him were bound together for eternity. Seeing something so familiar was a gentle reminder to Ivlis that he was safe despite the nightmares that had plagued his mind. Closing his eyes to take a calming breath once more, Ivlis focused his gaze onto Satanick’s concerned purple eyes. Though his eyelids were heavy, he was giving his full attention to the flame devil.

“Ivlis, what’s the matter?” Satanick asked, his voice still whispery from the sudden waking. He could clearly see some of Ivlis’s long strands of dark gray and red-tipped hair sticking to his face and body, beaded with sweat. Satanick offered a light squeeze to Ivlis’s shoulder to once again reassure him that he was here to offer him assistance. “Hey, did you have another nightmare?” Of course, just from how Ivlis had been groaning and whining in his sleep a few moments ago, Satanick knew the obvious answer. These seemed to be getting more and more frequent as of late. It was disturbing his sleep pattern, but it was even more bothersome to see Ivlis suffering these. Perhaps he always had, unbeknownst to Satanick until recently. Sharing a bed with someone frequently did leave opportunity to find out more about someone and their peculiar sleep habits, after all.

Ivlis merely nodded in response to Satanick’s question. “I – I’m fine,” Ivlis whispered back. Reaching up with his left hand, Ivlis placed his red, scaled fingers over Satanick’s. The gold of his wedding band flashed. Ivlis squeezed his hand lightly before flopping back onto his back onto the cooling sheets.

Satanick looked down at the shirtless devil with the long hair splayed out around him. Shaking his head at Ivlis’s denial, Satanick lie back down next to his husband, rotating so he could lie on his left side. He propped his head up in his left hand, his somewhat messy black locks hanging over his fingers. “Ivlis, you know I can tell when you’re lying, right?” The flame devil gave a small roll of his glassy and wet golden eyes at this statement, but Satanick knew that this was just for show. After all, this thick-headed devil with the attitude had been opening up to him bit by bit; Satanick could tell when this stubbornness was a defense mechanism of pride. “You know these can’t keep occurring.”

Ivlis rotated his neck to look at Satanick, gazing up at him. “Yeah, no duh. I’d enjoy if they’d stop, too, you know.”

Feisty as ever, it seemed. Satanick gave a soft smile even with the little attitude that Ivlis was giving him. He had grown to love that about the flame devil. Still, Satanick persisted; he wanted to get to the root of this reoccurring disturbance.

“So, tell me. What’s so scary, Ivlis?”

Ivlis knew he shouldn’t be scared or embarrassed about such things; Satanick was his husband, after all. He had seen and gotten to know more about Ivlis than anybody else had over these last decades. They had not been married long – only a few months – yet Ivlis could trust Satanick…even with the terrors that still liked to creep up on him with the occasional doubts. Ivlis was brought back to reality when he felt Satanick’s thumb and forefinger lifted his chin up higher so he would return his gaze to his. Even now, these simple actions would have Ivlis shudder – in the past, in fear; now, in anticipation. This man always seemed to know just how to command attention.

“Come on,” Satanick cooed. “Spit it out.”

With a deep sigh, Ivlis began mumbling out incoherent sentences. “I – I don’t know. I keep dreaming of…the past. All I see is…Lord Siralos.”

Ah, he should have known. Of course Ivlis would still be reminiscing over his god. Satanick didn’t quite understand the feeling of being created and cast out the way Ivlis had been, but he could imagine that such a thing would be something he wouldn’t soon forget. “Hey, it’s okay. You haven’t seen him in ages, so try not to think about him too much.” Even Satanick felt like his words were just a cold bandage to a wound that wasn’t quite ready to be covered up. Brushing this off as if such measly words would heal decades of damage had Satanick internally grimacing at his que será, será statement. 

The spark in Ivlis’s eyes flickered for a brief second. “It’s not that easy,” he shot back, a bit of venom in his tone. “All I see is…humiliation. That day – you – you showed that devil and god….” Ivlis began to trail off, not quite sure what he was even saying. Everything just seemed to blur together in a fog. Yes, he could vaguely recall the past, but the restless nightmares of the past few days only seemed to solidify them as nothing but that – nightmares. Unfortunately, they were all too real; past or not, it was still something that Ivlis had not apparently overcome. Then again, he hadn’t really settled that time or matter in his own head or heart. Honestly, at this point in his life, he found it silly that it was even popping up as an issue in his dreams; hadn’t that been settled a long time ago?

So, why now?

“Just…forget it. Forget I said anything.” Ivlis went to roll to his left side, but Satanick pulled him back, rotating the flame devil into the top of his bare chest. His fingers slid into the back of Ivlis’s hair as he held his head.

“Come now, Ivlis,” Satanick whispered to the top of his head. “We both know I don’t forget these types of things.” Sliding his head down onto the pillows once more, Satanick pressed a kiss to Ivlis’s forehead. Even that little distraction to his ornery flame devil would hopefully help ease his mind. He knew Ivlis well enough to know he reacted to physical stimuli. 

Ivlis let out a deep sigh as he closed his eyes, seeking solace. Thankfully, the warmth of Satanick’s bare chest and loving hands was helping soothe him bit by bit. What once filled him with disgust, he now clung to like a life preserver – his asylum in this chaotic sea. After a few moments of silence, both their breathing being the only sound amid the pounding of Satanick’s heart in his chest, Ivlis breathed out, “Thank you. Let’s…just go back to sleep.” He silently prayed that he could actually fall asleep without another creeping scenario to play out in his muddled mind. Ivlis rolled over once more, curling his arms up to his head, the silken sheets rustling around them.

With his back once more to Satanick, Ivlis soon heard Satanick cooing, “Hey, I know what will cheer you up.”

“What?” Ivlis turned to ask, but he should have known the answer. Satanick’s lips met his as soon as he turned his head. Even after all this time, feeling the devil’s mouth mesh over his had Ivlis immediately blushing and getting heated. The presence of the nightmares still lurked, but their dark shadows now began to dissipate as he found himself being lovingly embraced. Satanick now cupped Ivlis’s face in his palms as they shared a deep kiss. Ivlis moaned at feeling these familiar sensations traveling throughout his body, though he questioned if he should really be doing this sort of thing in the middle of the night. Nonetheless, the longer the kiss continued, Ivlis found himself melting into the comforting embrace as Satanick held him close.

Surely it was alright to seek shelter in this man tonight. A refuge from his internal storms sounded nice.

Satanick soon pulled back from the kiss, keeping his hands on Ivlis’s cheeks with his lips still hovering in front of his. Soft; warm; caring. Ivlis could still feel the genuineness of Satanick’s love for him. The past was the past; no amount of night terrors could change how he had fallen for this devil.

“Feeling better now, Ivlis?” Satanick asked a coy smile on his lips. He giggled when Ivlis simply rolled his eyes, slipping from his grasp to bury his face into the devil’s chest. Even with Ivlis’s red horns sticking up underneath Satanick’s chin, the devil lord found it adorable. Anytime was the perfect time for making love, but Satanick could read Ivlis’s emotions. Right now, he would not pressure him into doing anything tonight; he would simply stay content with this thin frame held in his arms. Wrapping his left arm underneath the flame devil’s head so he could cradle it, Satanick snaked his right arm around Ivlis’s hips to pull him even deeper to his body. He rested his chin between Ivlis’s curled horns, closing his eyes in peace. How perfect their bodies fit together - the missing puzzle piece to his life.

Tonight, he would be the calm to Ivlis’s storm as he silently began to feel the gears turning in his own mind. Ever the inventor, Satanick pondered how he could help this firey being escape the shackles of the past. 


	2. Ingenious Romantic Gestures

_“Ivlis.”_

_The soft, tiny voice echoed out to him as the little demon curled up into a tight ball. He tucked his sparkling red and gold wings around him as tightly as he could, along with his dark tan one-piece over his legs. It was always warm in this world, and the little demon made from flame enjoyed such a thing. However, today he felt as if he had failed his creator, leaving him feeling cold and ashamed. Tiny tears stung the little demon’s golden eyes as he shut them tightly, burying his face in his knees. He was hoping Igls wouldn’t have to see him like this; though, he supposed he was sitting in the middle of the desert area, clearly visible to anyone that wandered by._

_The soft crunching of sand underneath her tiny boots alerted Ivlis that she was in front of him. He waited for a while, hoping she would go off on her own if he did not respond to her. After a few minutes of silence, he knew this was not going to be the case. Slowly, he lifted his face, blinking against the bright lights of the Sun World and the sunburst halo that shone above the golden locks of Igls Unth’s hair. Her eyes were always closed, eyelashes resting serenely on her cheek, still gazed down at him; somehow or other, Lord Siralos knew just how to make her when he had made her. The thought of Lord Siralos having made them just the way he had wanted helped him feel a bit better, though, his little mind still doubted about his own personal failures._

_“Ivlis, why are you crying?” Igls asked him, kneeling down in the sand, her own dress – albeit it a lighter color – resting in the sand as she reached out a tiny hand to touch his cheek. The simple touch had Ivlis once more finding his eyes stinging with tears, and he gently pushed her hand away with the back of his right claw. A contrast between them, he realized; her skin was smooth and pale, whereas he had the red scales decorating his hands and parts of his forearm. He was supposed to be a demon born from Lord Siralos’s flame, yet he couldn’t even…._

_Her eyes still closed but a little frown on her mouth now, Igls simply sat there with a peaceful look on her features, waiting for Ivlis to reveal the problem. They were the same age – created at the same time – though she was a few milliseconds older. As the older sister, she would do what she could to assist him. After all, this was a land of warmth and love. So why was Ivlis sad?_

_“Igls.”_

_Ivlis tiny voice soon cracked out her name, and she attentively looked at him, listening for him to continue._

_Looking directly at her, Ivlis began to mumble out, “Do…. Do you think I’m a failure, Igls?”_

_The tiny angel tilted her head to the left in confusion. “Why do you say that, Ivlis?”_

_“I….” The little demon began to get choked up once more as he recollected his failure of the day. “I tried to summon my flames. You know? Like the ones Lord Siralos said I could?” He waited for her to nod in confirmation before he continued. “Well, I…I tried, and….” The tiny demon sniffled as he raised his hands to wipe the back of his eyes. “I couldn’t do it,” he cried._

_For a moment as he sat there sniffling, Igls gave a small smile to him. Even with her younger half saddened by his apparent failure, she knew this could easily be rectified. After all, Ivlis adored Lord Siralos, as did she._

_“Ivlis,” she said once more, waiting for him to stop crying and look up at her with his large golden eyes. “Everything Lord Siralos made is perfect, right?” The boy nodded in eager confirmation. “Well, that means that you are perfect, too. You didn’t fail at your flames; you’re still learning from him, just like I am.” The little angel reached her hand out to pat Ivlis’s dark gray and red-tipped hair between his tiny red horns. “See? So it’s nothing to cry over. Every day we are learning from Lord Siralos. And every day, we will get better and better. So, cheer up, Ivlis.”_

_The angel gave a soft smile to him, and soon Ivlis’s lips curled into a tiny one of his own. “Y – You’re right,” he agreed, sniffing one last time as he wiped at his tear-stained cheeks. The teary golden orbs now shined as he eagerly declared this, his wings slowly unfurling from his body. Igls couldn’t help but find it funny how he reminded her of a sunflower opening up to the sun._

_The small flame demon soon uncurled himself fully and jumped to his feet, his own boots crunching in the sand as he stood proudly before his sister, his curled hands on his hips. “I’ll keep learning and practicing from Siralos-sama! One day, I’ll make him so proud.” He gave a toothy grin as he closed his eyes in gleeful anticipation about what the future would hold with Lord Siralos training him to become a great creation._

_Igls gave a small smile in return, happy to see her once sulking brother back to normal again. She raised herself up from the sand, reaching out to take his right claw in her left hand. The boy looked down at their contrasting hands, this time with a smile._

_“Come on, Ivlis,” Igls said as she began to lead him back home. “I’m sure Lord Siralos is waiting for us.” Hand in hand, the tiny angel and demon walked across the warm sand underneath a multitude of shining lights of orange and yellow._

_Truly, this land had all the warmth and love one would ever need._

Ivlis moaned as he slowly cracked open his eyes. Faint traces of sunlight were coming through the slit in the curtains that were pulled shut over Satanick’s balcony doors.

Ah, that’s right; he had been sleeping over at Satanick’s again.

The flame devil now realized that upon seeing the balcony door so clearly, Satanick was not in the bed with him, though he could still see the imprint of his body in the crumpled sheets. Ivlis let out a light sigh as he placed his left hand over the spot where Satanick usually lie. It was fairly cool to the touch, so he assumed Satanick had been gone for a while. Well, he was a busy man; running an entire realm was tiring work, after all. Ivlis could attest to that fact firsthand.

Speaking of, he realized that he had not quite been focused on the dealings of his own world lately, finding himself more often than not spending time in the Pitch Black World with Satanick. Part of him felt a bit disgusted with himself that he was not paying attention to the affairs of his kingdom, but nothing urgent had come into play; that was the good news he could find solace in.

Rolling over, Ivlis placed his right arm over his forehead as he stared up at the violet drapes hanging over the bedposts of the devil lord’s large bed. Well, he supposed it was “their” bed these days. No matter how many times he told himself these words, Ivlis still found it a bit…embarrassing to even imagine these things. Months might have passed since they had tied the knot in marriage, but he still found it odd to suddenly lay any “claim” to the belongings of Satanick. He couldn’t help but chuckle thinking that Satanick had no trouble doing that to him, though; the devil lord was always using those coupling words. Of course, he always made sure Ivlis was marked as “his” in ways than one.

Ivlis let out a deep sigh as his mind drifted to the many times that Satanick would come up behind him to begin nibbling on his neck when he thought no one was watching, causing Ivlis to squirm at such public displays of affection. Satanick would merely laugh it off and tell him that, _“Such a pretty face can’t go around without a mark to show whom you belong to.”_ Ivlis groaned at such reminders as he felt himself becoming embarrassed all over again, his face starting to lightly blush as he recalled Satanick’s kisses, bites, and nibbles on the left-hand side of his neck, leaving hickeys on him. The flame devil instinctively lowered his arm from across his forehead to touch his left collarbone. Of course, no markings were there…yet. He would always hide them with his black turtleneck sweater or black and red scarf.

“Stupid,” Ivlis mumbled out to himself. He should not be thinking of such things so early in the morning. When had he become this way for such a lewd and promiscuous man such as Satanick? Pushing himself up from the bed, Ivlis slid out from the silken bedsheets – it was Satanick, of course he had silk for bedsheets, Ivlis thought – and made his way to the pile of clothes he had left nearby. He methodically slipped on his white dress shirt, military gray coat with the gold buttons, and his long gray trench coat. As he pulled his long ponytail out from the confines of the jacket, his eyes now landed on the last item sitting on the high-backed, cushioned chair that his belongings had been resting on. Ivlis reached out, lifting the scarf up between his two claws. It was quite the large scarf, he had to admit.

Staring at the two-toned object, a faint memory floated in his mind. Ivlis blinked a few times as he simply stood there looking at the scarf. He was not entranced by it – he knew exactly what it was, being the one who had made such a thing – yet the faintest recollection hung at the edges of his mind. Was it from another dream he had after having fallen back asleep? Ivlis could not quite remember if he had dreamt or not; the only thing he could recognize was a strange…warmth in his chest.

Unsure what to make of such a thing, Ivlis merely raised the scarf up to wrap around his neck, the edges flowing out around his body like wings. He caught a glimpse of himself in the vanity mirror before he decided to head out. At least he looked somewhat presentable, he supposed. Still, did that even matter? Ivlis decided that he would find Satanick and return to the Flame Underworld to resume business per usual. Perhaps a bit of work was what he needed to distract his brain away from the nightmares and strange memories that were starting to creep up on him.

“Good morning, Ivlis-chan ~!”

Satanick stood at his large kitchen’s stove, a black spatula in hand as he turned to greet Ivlis upon him entering the room. This man was too chipper this early in the morning with his sing-songy voice and beaming smile. He even wore a white apron over his typical suit attire that read in big bold print **KISS THE COOK**. Ivlis rolled his eyes at such a sight, that feeling of embarrassment once again creeping up his spine as he listened to Satanick hum as he prepared…something at the stove. When Ivlis simply stood in the doorway watching him, the devil lord glanced back over his shoulder, the long pieces of his black hair moving over his face as he smiled back at Ivlis.

“Well, go on; sit down,” he instructed. Even with such a cheery attitude, his voice still commanded attention. No wonder such an eccentric man like Satanick was somehow the devil lord. With a sigh, Ivlis complied, walking over to the wooden table off to the right hand side of the room. He pulled out a chair and plopped into it, propping his right elbow up on the table and his hand in his chin. Satanick watched him all the while and giggled. Ivlis rolled his eyes, looking away from him for a moment as he naturally felt his heart pounding against his chest. Just what in the world was Satanick up to? It wasn’t odd for him to be so flamboyant, yet Ivlis felt as if something was...different. As if Satanick was planning something.

 _What is with me, today?_ Ivlis thought. Lack of sleep with these strange dreams was messing with his mind, he imagined. Satanick was an oddball, but he was also his husband; surely that had to count for some semblance of trust between them.

Ivlis soon snapped out of his thoughts when a slight _ca-chunk_ of a plate being placed in front of him rang out. He slightly jumped as he blinked his eyes to focus on what was happening before him. He looked down to find a small tower of round, fluffy pancakes that were piled on a white china dish. Ivlis turned his gaze over to his left-hand side where Satanick stood, a grin on his face with his hands clasped behind his back, as if he was a proud chef.

Still uneasy about what Satanick was actually plotting, Ivlis mumbled out, “T – Thank you,” as he grabbed a nearby fork and knife to dig in. He had to admit that they did look and smell appetizing.

“Uh uh,” Satanick admonished, reaching out his hand to gently grasp Ivlis’s left wrist to get his attention. Internally sighing out in frustration, Ivlis looked over towards his left once more, only to be met with Satanick’s face inches from his. Why did he insist on such sudden surprises like this?! Ivlis pondered after he slightly jumped. Ivlis was ready to ask what the problem now was, only to see Satanick using his right index finger to tap at his chest. It took the flame devil a moment to realize what the man was referring to, causing Ivlis to once more sigh out, closing his eyes in mild agitation at how desperate this man would appear to the outside world should anyone else see him. However, something told him that Satanick did not care how he displayed himself. 

“You’re pathetic,” Ivlis mumbled out, and Satanick laughed aloud.

“But, Ivlis, it clearly says to kiss the cook, does it not?” the man stated matter-of-factly. He leaned in even more, his lips now hovering over Ivlis’s, his deep purple eyes staring at him intensely. One minute, he was acting so comical, and now, he stared at Ivlis with such intense sensuality. Ivlis found his breath stop for a moment before he then felt Satanick pushing his lips against his in a sweet kiss. Ivlis found himself once more easily blushing at the hands – well, mouth – of this unknowable man, and he lightly moaned as he closed his eyes to this good morning kiss.

Feeling that his duty was now accomplished, Satanick pulled back from the kiss, delighted to see Ivlis coming around thanks to his quick actions. No matter the time of day, he loved to see the flame devil become easily flustered. He did not mind when he was a tad moody, but he enjoyed it even better when Ivlis was rendered speechless thanks to his skills. Satanick chuckled once more at this, allowing his fingers to brush across Ivlis’s scales on his wrist as he walked to the kitchen counter to retrieve his own breakfast, taking a seat across from Ivlis. He soon untied the apron from around himself, tossing it over the back of a free chair as he sat down. When his phlox-colored eyes once again met with Ivlis’s golden ones, the flame devil turned his eyes downward at the pancakes, now beginning to slice at them. Such a nonchalant attitude was not easily lost on Satanick; he took great pleasure in seeing Ivlis’s gaze on him more often these days. He could still see the small bits of uneasiness in him – as if unsure of Satanick’s next move – which somewhat bothered the devil lord, while also thrilling him.

It was true that he wanted to repair all of the years of horrible abuse that Ivlis had suffered at his hands, and every day Satanick longed to make amends in his own way to rectify such things. However, the sadistic side of him also loved to see Ivlis a bit “on-edge” around him. It was not in malicious intent as it had once used to be; rather, it was in anticipation on how he could surprise Ivlis with grand gestures.

Today, he hoped that these next gestures would go smoothly.

Gathering up his bravado in a deep breath – he hoped Ivlis did not see the small hesitation in his body language – Satanick placed his elbows on the table, his hands linking together underneath his chin. As his arms formed a tent of sorts over his own plate of pancakes, the devil lord proposed his most ingenious plan to date. 

“Ivlis, I’m taking you on a very special honeymoon.” Immediately, he saw the flame devil’s head shoot up from his focus on the breakfast, and the dark-haired devil lord continued with a grin. “The best part is, you can’t say no.” 


	3. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry this took so long to get out! 
> 
> November was a pretty busy month with work, but also I had inspiration to do a lot of oneshots and such things, as you can see. Sorry! My writing process knows no schedule. 
> 
> However, I have quite the plans for this series, and I hope you will enjoy the ride. :D <3

The snap of the suitcase seemed to echo throughout the room as Ivlis slammed the lid shut. The black, square object was certainly big enough to hold only a few of his possessions – mostly clothes and essentials – but Ivlis did not feel the need to pack that much. Satanick had told him they were going on a honeymoon, though he would not spare him the details on exactly where this location would be. In truth, Ivlis was a bit nervous at this prospect. He loved Satanick, yes, but even after a few months, it was still difficult to get a real read on Satanick and his proposed “brilliant ideas.” Ivlis closed his eyes and let out a deep breath that he realized he had been holding in. Satanick had not given him a real reason to worry as to where he exactly was planning this supposed escapade, but Ivlis still questioned if this was okay to do. Yes, he could leave his kingdom for a few days under the care of others – as could Satanick – but was this right to just leave everything behind for a few moments of… whatever this was that the devil was planning.

Ivlis recollected that he had protested about going on this trip; of course, Satanick would hear none of it. He had already made it abundantly clear that Ivlis could not say no. Even when Ivlis had opened his mouth to speak, Satanick reached across the breakfast table to shush him with a simple index finger over his mouth.

_“Trust me, Ivlis.”_

Those words echoed in Ivlis’s mind. A relationship was built on trust; well, it should be, at the very least. He wanted to trust Satanick, and in many regards, he did. After all, he had fallen in love with this man, so it was a little too late to not put some amount of trust in him. Still, being left in the dark about something such as a honeymoon together made Ivlis feel both anxious yet excited. He shook his head, his long gray hair swishing around his face slightly. Satanick was an unpredictable man, and he surely would stay that way for eternity, wouldn’t he? Ivlis resigned himself to just accept this as fact; however, that was easier said than done.

Clasping onto the handle of his bag, Ivlis took one last look around his room before heading out. Satanick had told him he would meet Ivlis at his home momentarily; at least this provided enough respite for Ivlis to pack and process some of his baggage. Now all he had to do was tell his family and cohort where he was headed off to so as to not alarm them.

Arriving near the castle door, Ivlis placed the suitcase down before turning around. Satanick had told him to dress casually for this excursion, so Ivlis chose to wear a knitted beige sweater over his white dress shirt. One would assume that living in a world of flames and heat that a sweater was a poor choice of wardrobe, yet for Ivlis, this was normal. He had grown used to this world after so many decades….

The thought of becoming used to this world – of becoming _forced_ to become used to this world – now had the flame devil’s expression becoming melancholic. He had not thought much on Lord Siralos, but ever since that nightmare from last night, Ivlis could not help but be reminded once more of his god who had cast him away. Even now, he could still see and hear pieces of the past echoing back at him. All he could remember was the way Lord Siralos had glared at him, telling him to be ashamed like the filthy demon he was. All he could hear was his god’s taunting laugh over him.

_“This proves that even I commit mistakes.”_

Siralos’s deep yet light tone pierced through Ivlis’s heart once more. It stung, yes, but not as bad as it used to. Nonetheless, to once more relive those words spoken down at him had Ivlis feeling a bit ill.

 _Why are you even thinking about this at a time like this?!_ he yelled at himself. Placing his left hand on the wall to steady himself, Ivlis raised his right palm up to place it over his face; as if he could somehow hide his shame of the past. If only it was that simple. Some days he wished it truly was. He could not pinpoint exactly why these thoughts were resurfacing thanks to one evening of bad dreams. Perhaps it really would do him good to escape for a few days. Maybe a change of scenery would be good for his frazzled mind.

“Uh, Mr. Devil?”

Ivlis’s head snapped up from having let it droop down lower onto his chest. He slid his hand off of his face, straightening up. Spinning around, Ivlis knew just who he would see standing there. Ever the one to startle him from his thoughts, Ivlis was almost glad to see Emalf standing there alongside his daughter. The two were at least punctual with this “meeting.” Staring at the demon who’s horns and fingers were decked out in piercings and gold rings, Ivlis now looked down at the light brown hair and curved red horns of his daughter. But something – well, _somebody_ – was missing. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Ivlis asked, “Where’s Licorice?”

Emalf sheepishly raised a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck, clearly embarrassed that he had failed in his duties of corralling the only other inhabitant in this large castle. “Sorry, Mr. Ivlis, sir,” the demon uttered out. “He said he had something to do, so I let him be.” Even with Emalf’s black shades blocking his amber eyes, Ivlis could tell the demon was a bit unsettled that he had failed in this simple task. In the past, Ivlis might have gotten annoyed with such things, but lately, he found that even his mild annoyance was barely perturbed these days. Ivlis simply closed his eyes momentarily to let out a tiny sigh.

“It’s fine, Emalf. Thanks.” He then turned his gaze to meet Poemi’s red-orange gaze, who stared up at him with her usual, carefree expression. Ivlis reached out, placing his hand atop her head between her long, curved horns. “Poemi, I’m going away for a few days. Please listen to Emalf, and don’t cause any trouble.” It had been a long time since Poemi had gotten ahold of a new “toy” to play with, but Ivlis did not want to take any chances. His daughter she might be, but she enjoyed helping Papa with his work; well, past work, he had to admit. Be that as it may, he still had to make sure she followed his orders. Trying to keep his expression a bit more serious, Ivlis made sure she was making eye contact with him. “I mean it.”

Poemi nodded, giving a toothy grin up at her father. “Yes, Papa!” she called out, raising her right arm up in the air as if in acknowledgement. “I’ll be sure to keep Emalf in line, too.”

“Huh?” The demon turned to look down at his smaller cohort, clear confusion on his face, to which Poemi responded with a giggle, lowering her arm down so she could chuckle behind her claws that she raised to her mouth in giddiness. Ivlis couldn’t help but give a light smile at that, as well. Emalf was not related to them by blood, but at this point in time, he was honestly part of the family; Poemi teasing him as she usually did was proof enough of that. 

Sliding his hand off of Poemi’s head, Ivlis looked once more at Emalf. “Tell Licorice that I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye to him.” He knew the boy wouldn’t be too happy with him for leaving without actually seeing him in person, but Ivlis did not want to track him down at the moment. However, he could not help but be curious as to what the boy was up to. Then again, Licorice was not exactly a normal child, as he was able to switch between a child form and adult form quite easily. Not many other demons were capable of that; at least, none that Ivlis knew of. Other worlds and their laws were still foreign and new to the flame devil. Come to think of it, he had only been to a few worlds before, and the only place he could really travel to these days with some of his magic was the Pitch Black World. Other worlds required a higher level of skill and experience to properly navigate to or a portal of some sort. His full powers had not quite ever returned to him thanks to a certain devil from another world, so transporting to other places was still off Ivlis's list. Therefore, traveling with Satanick to an unknown location was still quite strange to Ivlis. Would this place be something he was familiar with, or would he have to sole rely on Satanick and his power to get him places? Once more, the flame devil found himself frazzled with the possibility of what was truly going to be happening on this so-called honeymoon of theirs. At the very least, he could be grateful that Satanick was his husband, and that provided some level of reassurance that perhaps everything would be fine.

Continuing after his momentary pause, Ivlis explained to Emalf that everything was in order for the next few days; not much had been occurring in their world, and frankly, most things seemed to be peaceful in this world of fire and demons. “There really should not be anything major occurring. But if something happens, get in touch with me,” Ivlis commanded. “I’ll be sure to come back.” Even if he had to beg Satanick to cancel their plans early, he would make sure to return promptly. Like it or not, both devils ruled their own respective realms, and that was more important in many regards. Though, thinking that way made Ivlis feel as if he was only shunning Satanick’s goodwill gestures towards him.

As if on cue, Ivlis felt the familiar sensation of dark magic behind him, and soon the presence followed as it wrapped its arms around Ivlis’s waist. Satanick’s chest then made contact with Ivlis’s back as he practically melded up against him. Ivlis tensed up a bit at this unexpected hug while simultaneously letting the warmth and familiar feeling begin to thrum through his being.

“You ready, Ivlis?” Satanick’s mouth whispered into Ivlis’s pointed left ear, causing the flame devil to shudder with that familiar tone and hot breath.

Poemi interjected her thoughts as she openly smiled up at Satanick, unfazed with the affection this man displayed to her Papa. “Hey, other Papa!” she greeted Satanick. Satanick pulled back from Ivlis to now greet Poemi, couching down to her level to converse with her. “I’m happy to see you,” she continued. “But no fair! Papa gets to go on a trip, but Poemi wants to, too.” The whiny demon now puffed her cheeks out as she pouted. Ivlis could not help but roll his eyes at such a display. His daughter might be a demon capable of killing and maiming for fun, but she was still so childlike.

Satanick’s response was a mere chuckle as he reached out his left hand to take Poemi’s own in his, placing his right one on top of that. “Don’t be like that, Poemi,” Satanick gently admonished. “I’ll be sure to take us all on a family trip in the near future.” He winked at her. “Sound good?”

This seemed to lift the girl’s spirits as she deflated her cheeks and now beamed at Satanick. “Yeah! I want to do that!” Her expression changed for a moment as a thought popped into her head before her eyes lit up again. “And Crea, too; I want Crea to come, too.”

Satanick happily obliged the request; well, in Poemi’s case, it was more of a sugar-coated demand. “Of course, of course. Crea’s your sister, after all.”

Husband. Papa. Daughter. Sister.

Just some of these familial terms had Ivlis’s heart swelling and spinning just like his brain. Of course he was used to them by now, but part of him still found it so strange to be married; to even have what one would call a family. It did not have to be related by blood; he knew that very well, as he had created his children from flame, it Licorice being the exception. Yet in his somewhat melancholic mood, Ivlis could not help but think of loved ones that he had not seen in eons. That alone was enough to send a twinge of pain through the flame devil’s heart, and he instinctively wanted to raise a hand to his chest if it was possible for one to hold one’s own heart to help stop that prick.

Satanick now stood once more, this time facing Ivlis. He must have noticed the flame devil’s dazed expression as he was lost in thought, as he gently flicked Ivlis’s forehead with his forefinger off of his thumb. Ivlis let out a startled gasp, raising his hand up to his head in a natural response to pain, causing Satanick to laugh as Ivlis blinked off the confusion to now replace it with rosy cheeks of embarrassment. “You were staring off into space again, Ivlis,” Satanick teased him. “Time to wake up. You don’t want to miss the festivities I have planned for us, do you?”

Ignoring Poemi’s giggling and Emalf’s clear awkwardness at watching the couple, Ivlis cast a small glare at Satanick. “Okay, fine,” he mumbled out. “Just where are we going, exactly?”

Satanick now held his finger up in front of Ivlis’s face, waggling it. “Patience, my dear boy, patience.” This only caused Ivlis’s agitation and Satanick’s amusement to grow. Satanick took one last look over his shoulder to smile at Poemi and Emalf. “See you kids later. Tell Lico I’ll miss him, too.”

“K – Kid?” Emalf muttered out loud, a dazed and humiliated look across his features being referred to as just another child.

Leaning over, Satanick took hold of Ivlis’s suitcase handle with his left hand, the other snaking its way around Ivlis’s back to pull him into his chest. Ivlis could not help but find even these gestures a bit embarrassing in front of others, but he did his best to stifle his protests. He knew better than anyone that Satanick was hands-on with his affection. “Hold onto me, Ivlis,” Satanick whispered down at him, his breath hot on top of Ivlis’s forehead. Sheepishly, Ivlis obeyed, raising his hands up to place them on Satanick’s jacket lapels. He could feel the vibration of Satanick’s light chuckle underneath his palms, only causing Ivlis to feel fidgety.

 _Let’s get this over with_ , he could not help but think. However, even he knew how childish and whiny that sounded in his own mind. Satanick was kind enough to offer him a reprieve with just the two of them; he should be grateful.

“Bye, Papa!” Poemi’s cheerful call echoed in his ears. “I’ll miss you!”

Looking over Satanick’s shoulder at Poemi and Emalf, they began to blur in a mixture of reds, whites, and blacks as Satanick began using his magic to teleport them to their destination. The sensation was not strange, as Ivlis knew what to expect when traveling between worlds. Still, the swirling motion of it always left him feeling a bit off, and today was no exception with his somewhat heavy mind. Closing his eyes, Ivlis focused on breathing in and out steadily through his nostrils as he slightly dug his fingertips into his jacket. Ivlis found himself lowering his head a bit to hover just above Satanick's collarbone. He could smell Satanick’s scent, and in some ways, that comforted him a bit. Satanick was still an enigma to him, and he would never quite understand how his mind worked, but Ivlis had to welcome some semblance of stability with this man.

Whatever was to come, Ivlis had to trust him. Some semblance of it was mandatory as a married couple, right? 

Ivlis soon felt the familiar sensation of arriving into a new world. The atmosphere already felt much different than his home world – which was to be expected – and his boots hitting the soft ground told him they had arrived. Ivlis slowly opened his eyes, first seeing Satanick’s familiar suit before lifting his head. Satanick’s held was tilted towards his left, his gaze looking at his surroundings and a smile on his face, though… something felt a bit off. Subtle it might be, but up so close, Ivlis could see a tiny crease at the corners of Satanick’s mouth. Was he nervous about something? It was strange to see Satanick make a genuine face like that, tiny as a change as it might be. That only had Ivlis questioning what the problem was. He did not have to wonder for long, as Satanick’s head now turned to stare down into Ivlis’s. The tiny bit of concern now seemed to fade a bit, though part of it was still present. Satanick offered him a gentle smile before speaking.

“Ivlis, you know I have your best interests at heart, right?”

What kind of statement was that? Ivlis pondered. His eyebrow rose up as he gave him a quizzical look, but did not respond right away. Of course he would like to think Satanick had his best at heart; at least, these days, anyway. Once more, he found himself with that inner dilemma about trust. His heart was starting to pound, and not in anticipation. Sliding back a bit, Ivlis could feel Satanick’s arm slightly tighten around his back, as if he was hesitant to let Ivlis go. Ivlis slid his hands down Satanick’s jacket, pushing against Satanick’s arm to release him. Ivlis looked to his left and then his right to check his surroundings. Even before doing so, he already knew this familiar scenery….

Yanking himself away from Satanick, Ivlis spun around, his boots crunching in the soft, pale dirt underneath his feet. The two devils stood along a path surrounded on either side by bright green grass and all manner of flora. Tall trees stretched out along the backdrop of a forest. The sun was warm and bright; the sky a powder blue; the white clouds drifting by lazily in the sky. In essence, it was a perfect paradise.

For Ivlis… this was the very definition of hell.

Ivlis’s breath caught in his throat as he felt his chest rising and falling rapidly, though he felt as if he could not even breathe. Chills were running down his back and into his legs, making them shake. This was not exactly fear; this was not exactly anger. Ivlis could not believe that Satanick had brought him back to this place.

His nightmares were becoming reality.

His heart in his throat and his blood boiling, Ivlis turned to his husband as he trembled. Satanick stood where he was, his hand still clasping Ivlis’s baggage. A coy smile was now across his face. Opening his mouth – unsure if anything would come out – Ivlis was able to shout.

“What have you done?!”


	4. Promise

For a moment, Satanick felt his heart leap in his chest when he noticed the terror and trepidation on Ivlis’s face. He feared that this would be the initial reaction, and rightfully so. After all, he knew that revisiting a world that he had tried to destroy was simply asking for trouble. Once before, Satanick had brought him here. Even now, words from the past echoed back to his mind; the things that were said by not only himself, but by that one man that Ivlis had so desperately wanted to please. All he could do was watch as Ivlis seemed to twirl around as he swiveled his head back and forth to gather in the landscape of this unique world comprised of angels and demons. One would liken the Gray Garden ruled by a god and devil to be a strange paradise – which would be the correct assumption. But staring at how Ivlis was panicking and becoming flustered, Satanick knew that this was surely not the place that Ivlis would have picked for a romantic getaway.

Satanick let out a steady breath to help compose himself. Seeing Ivlis distressed filled him with a strange sensation. In the past, this devil lord desired – no, craved – to see the flame devil suffer. In a way, it was like a twisted little game to see how deeply he could traumatize Ivlis until he broke. After all, a being that had tried to threaten and destroy and entire world surely had to be punished for his awful deeds. Now, he could not bear the thought of purposely hurting this being. Yes, he would still tease him – that was a part of his nature, after all - but to harm Ivlis in any capacity left him feeling ill. Satanick liked to think that he had worked at developing their relationship to blossom into something more than what it used to be. No relationship was perfect, but his new cravings were no longer for torturing this poor flaming being. What he truly longed for was keeping the solid footing of their blooming love. He trusted Ivlis, and he prayed that Ivlis trusted him just as much.

Trust was essential for any relationship, right? 

However, seeing Ivlis’s clear upset had Satanick questioning if he was truly doing the right thing.

Lowering his left shoulder a bit, Satanick placed the suitcase he was still holding onto the dirt path so his hands were fully free should he need to use them. Most likely, he knew that he would need to keep some level of hands-on approach to the agitated devil; the poor thing was beginning to look like he was in the process of going feral.

“Ivlis, I can explain,” Satanick calmly began, a soft smile now on his lips. 

“Explain?!” Ivlis’s voice had certainly increased in octaves as he whirled to face Satanick. His entire hair had begun to glow a brighter hue of orange now. It had been quite a while since Satanick had seen that reaction from his beloved. The flame devil’s teeth were so tightly clenched, Satanick could see the muscles in his jaw moving. Even his fists were balled into fists as his whole body shook; whether in anger, fear, or both was still up for debate. Satanick suspected it was a combination of all such emotions. “How the fuck do you explain _this_?!” Ivlis had now opened his hands to raise his arms up and wildly gesture to their surroundings. A world of green and lush vegetation was certainly a different experience; even from that of the Pitch Black World with it's various landscapes, the Gray Garden certainly had an appearance akin to a heavenly realm. Though, truth be told, a god did help rule this world. 

Satanick still kept the soft smile plastered on his face as he felt his own body longing reaching out for Ivlis. He moved slowly closer to him, his dress shoes shuffling across the path. “Ivlis, I promise you that I have no intention of causing you any sort of harm. I can tell you are upset, and I’m sorry for that. But please believe me that this brilliant plan will work out.” He extended his right hand out towards Ivlis, palm up. “You have my word.” 

“This?! This is your brilliant plan?!” Ivlis’s voice and shuddering only seemed to be increasing, and Satanick could swear he saw sparks flickering in the flame devil’s eyes. He knew that over these past few years the demons powers had slowly begun to come back bit by bit. After all, Satanick himself had been on the receiving end of more than enough light projectiles when Ivlis was highly upset. Still, it surprised him to see this aura once more around him.

 _As expected_ , Satanick thought with a somewhat melancholic sigh. Part of him wondered if surprising Ivlis like this really had not been the most magnificent of ideas he had had lately. Be that as it may, he still had to keep things moving along; the others would be waiting.

“Ivlis.” Satanick’s tone had deepened a bit, and his face now displayed a bit of stoicism to it. “Please calm down and listen to me. It’s for your own good.”

“My what?!” Ivlis screamed. He could feel nothing but adrenaline coursing through his veins. His heart was pounding; his limbs felt numb while simultaneously wobbly; the blood rushing through his body was deafening in his ears. All the while, he could feel his breathing escalating while also feeling shallow.

Hot. Everything felt so hot as he could feel his flames wanting to ignite around him. Part of him desired to send his magic out at Satanick. Of course, he knew this would not kill him, nor did he exactly want to hurt the man he loved. But in this heated moment, Ivlis longed for nothing more than to rant, rave, and cause some sort of destruction. Everything was burning up and crumbling inside of him; surely releasing this energy would help him feel better, right? 

“You bastard!” Ivlis continued to shout at Satanick. “I never should have let you take me here!” He raised his right hand up, pointing directly at Satanick. “Take me home this instant!” Even the way he demanded this just now sounded like a petulant child; he knew that, yet he did not care. He had not exactly “gotten his way,” and now he wanted to escape. He had to leave this place! Too many horrible, horrible memories lie in this lush place of green forests and meadows. The Gray Garden was certainly not a paradise in Ivlis’s point of view, and it was clearly not his desired location for this supposed “honeymoon.”

Satanick shut his eyes momentarily as he shook his head. With a deep breath in and then out, Satanick re-opened his eyes to focus on his ornery husband. He lowered his hand to return it to his side. “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Ivlis. Please hear me out. I really am doing this for your own good. Trust me.” 

“No!” Ivlis shouted back, a tiny bit of flames radiating from around him when he yelled. “No, no, no! You don’t get to say that to me right now, Satanick! I _did_ trust you, and look where that got me!” Even if his heart was being squeezed at this very moment, and tears threatened to choke his throat, Ivlis stood his ground.

There was only way out of this, wasn’t there?

Ivlis hated the idea of trying to find his way back home without assistance – his powers were still not quite up to par thanks to the black and gray devil of this very world – but damned he would be if he did not at least try. With another apoplectic glare at Satanick, Ivlis spun on his boots. Everything inside of him was burning up, and he could feel the flames beginning to emanate around him. He knew that he was not thinking clearly enough to teleport himself directly home, but at the moment, any place would be better than this one. Closing his eyes tightly, Ivlis tried to still his shaking body and mind to begin the process.

As the flames began to spread out and around his feet and legs, his magic became disrupted as he felt a pair of strong yet loving arms tightly warp around his upper half. Satanick’s chest pressed into his back as the devil lord pulled him even deeper into his embrace. Ivlis's arms were now pinned to his sides, only causing him to become even more irate. The sudden shock of Satanick grasping onto him had dissipated some of his flames, but Ivlis still suspected that a bit of his magic had hit Satanick judging by the man’s quick “humph” under his breath. Ivlis attempted to wriggle free, yanking himself forward but to little avail as the man continued to cling to him. Ivlis clenched his teeth even tighter and began to growl in the back of his throat as he thrashed around to be set free. He did not want to hurt Satanick, but the sheer audacity of him doing this to him was beyond anything Ivlis could have imagined.

“Let me go, Satanick! Now! I mean it!”

Satanick simply clung tightly to his love, holding him as steady as he could. The flames did not quite hurt him, but they did burn a bit against his exposed flesh. Ivlis could wrench every which way, but he would not let up his grip. Even if Ivlis was enraged, Satanick could still feel that he was not fully using all of his power against him. That made the devil smile a bit. Lowering his head to bury his face into the flame devil’s glowing locks, he breathed in his scent before speaking against the nape of his neck. “I’m not letting you go, Ivlis. I never will. You know that.”

Now was seriously not the time for this man to use his allures to try to romantically woo him, Ivlis internally screamed. Of course, perhaps those words were not meant as such, but even Ivlis could not deny the bit of chill that went through his body when he felt Satanick’s hot breath on his already heated body. All the flame devil could think of was how he could escape this horrible situation. Why – truly, why?! – had Satanick brought him here? It was only a further reminder of Ivlis’s failures – of trying to steal another’s power and being mocked by the one person whom Ivlis had truly loved. Satanick loved him, yes – and he loved him back just as equally – but this…. This was too much. This felt like a betrayal to the bond that they had developed over these past few months. Nevertheless, still lost in his thoughts, Ivlis pulled and squirmed, noticing that each attempt was only growing weaker and weaker, and Satanick’s strong grip on him began to relax into a tenderer yet firm embrace.

Huffing from his futile struggles, Ivlis finally allowed himself to stop, feeling his energy having burnt out, as did his flames. The demon lowered his head, letting his long ponytail now trail over his left shoulder. Tired. Now he felt so tired after riling himself up. But he couldn’t stop; he simply couldn’t. If he did….

Just what would happen if he gave in? What was going to happen to them now that they were in a world that was not their own? Ivlis did not want to imagine the possibilities. Satanick’s arms loosened around his beloved, repositioning his hands to slide his right one over Ivlis’s left claw, his left now reaching up to gently squeeze Ivlis’s right shoulder. Once more, his warm breath whispered over him. “It’s okay. I promise. Trust me, Ivlis.”

Ivlis was unsure how much time passed with the two of them standing there in the middle of this forest path. At any moment, passersby might notice them here. Surely the god and devil of this world could sense a disturbance in their world’s energy. What would be the point of trying to run away now if they were already aware of the presence of two devils in the realm? To be truthful, everything felt raw and sensitive. The flame demon's legs felt sapped of their ability to keep him standing. He was grateful that at least Satanick's arms around him were at least keeping him upright. His hair now fading back to its normal dark gray and red, his long bangs served as a covering over his eyes. If he was honest, Ivlis felt his heart being squeezed as he tried to process the reasoning behind this unfortunate turn of events. Satanick was his husband - someone that he had been learning to grow closer to and form a deep bond with.

Surely…. Surely there was a higher purpose to this, right?

Pressing his lips together for a while, the two stood in silence as a gentle yet warm breeze blew past them, ruffling both of their hair and clothing. On the note of that came, “Ivlis.”

With Satanick’s voice once more whispering in his ear, Ivlis tried to remain as calm as psychologically as possible as he felt his energy draining from him. In retrospect, he realized that burning through his magic like this was probably not the best option for someone in his position. He kept his head hung down as he tried to gather his emotions and thoughts into cohesive sentences. “Satanick,” he finally choked out. “Why? Why did you… do this?” 

To hear Ivlis’s almost broken question pained Satanick. He knew Ivlis would be angry and upset, yet it still hurt to hear that he was the one that had caused this change in his loved one's tone. Be that as it may, this was something that Satanick felt had to be done. Ivlis may not care or want it, but every goal needed to be played out in steps. Part of the brilliant devil lord began to worry that if part one of his plan was already this tough for the sensitive devil, then how he would react to part two.

Well…. No point in worrying about that now. Satanick would not abandon Ivlis during either of these trials. 

With his arms still around Ivlis, Satanick brought his head into a position where he could peek over Ivlis’s shoulder at his face. Those golden eyes he loved to stare into seemed a bit downtrodden while simultaneously sparkling – whether from flame or tears, Satanick was unsure. A gentle squeeze to Ivlis’s hand in his, Satanick was able to get Ivlis to look at him, his bangs moving to the side as he faced Satanick. A bit of light from the partly cloudy sunshine lighted on the man's sorrow-filled expression, brightening it in Satanick's vision. 

“Trust me, Ivlis. I promise you that it’s going to be okay.”

Once more, there was that word....

Satanick prayed that this was the whole truth and nothing but the truth. So help him.

A flash of bright green and red whizzed through the trees as the demon girl huffed, her red boots shuffling quickly through the grass. She could not believe what she had just seen! She had just been on her usual route to the meadow to pick more flowers, only to hear shouting. To conceal herself, she had slipped behind the curtain of trees farther down the path to observe what the commotion was. She thought it could possibly be just a feuding couple, and Yosafire did not want to become a busy-body eavesdropper. Still, she had to stake out the situation before heading to the meadow. What she had not expected to see was the familiar sight of flames and a face she had not seen in a long time. Never mind who the other demon with the purple tree-like horns was; if the flaming demon was with him, then surely there was something afoot! Her wings fluttered behind her, but even that did not serve as a reminder to her that it would most likely have been quicker for her to fly to Blancblack Castle. Still, the young demon did not care; flight or not, she had to reach the god and devil of this realm as fast as possible.

“Why?” she panted out, her somewhat baggy red sweater flopping around her waist. “Why is flame boy back?!” The gold cross necklace that hung down to the center of her chest tangled itself together, but that could be easily reparable. The state of the world was at stake yet again if that invader was back! Yosafire had to respond rapidly.

“Old man! Gotta tell the old man!” 


	5. Old Visitors

The devil’s black eyes scanned the table in front of him, trying to determine his next move. His brow furrowed the more he concentrated. However, it felt to little avail as all he could see was a cacophony of black and white pieces across the green-patterned board. He never was quite good at Othello, and his significant other knew that quite well. The ebony versus ivory pieces perfectly suited this pair, and the devil could not help but be reminded of their own selves having once fought for supremacy just like these discs.

A light giggle was all it took to finally snap the tall devil out of his reverie as he looked up to stare into the serene but smirking face of the god he had once loathed now become a welcome sight. Well, most of the time was a welcoming view when they weren’t teasing him over these trivial games. With their left elbow placed on the dark gray table between them, Etihw placed their chin in their open palm, fingers drifting into their short black hair that draped around their face. “You know, Kcalb, if you just admit defeat, the game would be finished much sooner.”

Kcalb did not say much, nor did he immediately want to react, though that was enough of a reaction in and of itself for the god to once more chuckle. “I – I can manage just fine, thank you,” Kcalb retorted, though his furrowed brow and increasing headache was saying otherwise. Reaching out, he hovered his bandaged right hand over the board, waiting for the right moment to move…. Just where could he move…?

This only incited another giggle from the god as they watched Kcalb exerting every ounce of mental capacity to formulate his next plan. “Come on, Kcalb; you know I always win at Othello, but you still challenge me.” A pause as they watched his vigilant focus on the board, yet they could see the way his lips were pressed tightly together as he tried to hold back his agitation. “Could it be that you perhaps enjoy being on the losing end?”

“Ghh!” Kcalb made a slight choking noise in the back of his throat as he tried to keep his composure. Surely there must be some way to win today, right? However, the more he stared at the tiny playing discs, the more they began to meld together into a grayish puddle as his eyes became unfocused. Suddenly, the colors faded from his sight, and the devil had to blink to make sure he was seeing this correctly. A simple wave of Etihw’s hand had caused the board game to completely vanish from sight. Kcalb once more raised his white and black eyes to stare at the grinning god, who simply shrugged in return. “What was that for?” Kcalb muttered, a bit annoyed that they had not even given him the option to defend himself. Surely the game wasn’t forfeit if he didn’t even get a chance to rebuttal?!

Etihw simply giggled again, that serene smile still across their lips. Kcalb could not help but swallow back any further retorts when they gave him that look. Yes, it was a bit cocky and teasing, but when it came to Eti – well, there really was no point in challenging a god after all, was there? He knew that firsthand all too well.

“Ollllllddddd maaaaannnnn!”

The distant screaming of that oh-so familiar voice practically vibrated off the diamond-patterned walls of the spacious room that the god and devil occupied. Both had turned to look towards the large, closed doors, knowing that at any moment a short yet fiery demon would be bursting through them at any moment, as another shout of “Old man!” sounded out, this time closer than the last one.

Kcalb’s eyes narrowed as he groaned out. “Just what is that girl’s problem?! Why in the world is she screaming like a banshee?” Yosafire was known for her aptitude to be cheerful and a prankster, but that did not excuse her to be obnoxiously loud. Even if it was the afternoon, the other residents of this world would surely be woken if any of them had decided to take a rest. “Her screaming could raise the dead themselves,” he sighed out, already fearing a headache was going to start brewing. He raised his bandaged left hand to his slip underneath his shaggy white hair, anticipating to feel a pang begin to form inside his temples at any moment. 

Etihw did not seem perturbed in the least about their newest visitor coming to greet them. They once more turned to face Kcalb, their short hair lightly moving around their face. “Seems as if she’s got something important she wants to tell you, Kcalb. I wonder what it could be?”

“Ugghh,” Kcalb audibly groaned. Truly, he did care for the demons of this world, but for once he wished that Yosafire was not as rambunctious. “It’s honestly probably something trivial. It usually is.” He could recall the last time she had come over upset about something was when she was highly concerned about having gained a single pound of weight. 

_“Old man, what do I do?! Froze is gonna be so mad at me for not exercising more!” The demon was visibly in distress at the thought of this, practically vibrating in place as she sought council from someone she thought would be able to guide her in this area._

_Kcalb could only stare at her with a visibly blank and agitated expression, though he honestly tried not to show it. “You could just not eat so many apple pies in a day, you know.”_

_“B – But, Old Man!” Yosafire whined. “You like sweets just as much, don’t you? I’m sure you know something about having to lose weight, right?”_

Once more, Kcalb could not help but groan as he shook his head. Even in the present, he could never quite escape the past, even if the past was nonsense.

In all honesty, he preferred it that way. The humdrum of everyday life was much more preferable than the "excitement" of the past. 

Finally, the doors slammed open with enough force that Kcalb thought they would indent the wall. He jolted a little in his round, black chair that he was sitting on. He almost forgot how strong Yosafire could be when she wanted to be. Then again, she really did not have a reason to use any of her abilities in such a peaceful world. He could not help but question what her problem was that she was barging in in such a manner.

With her arms spread wide, her large red eyes were even wider with her pupils constricted. Her eyes darted around furiously behind the frames of her red-rimmed glasses, soon landing on the god and devil at the very end of the large room. Her target now acquired, Yosafire gasped out once more, “Old man!” her voice clearly breathless and hoarse. Come to think of it, she looked as if she had been sweating. Had she run here?

With little time to think, Kcalb placed his hands upon the table in front of him. He slightly winced as he rose, a slight twinge spreading through his right hip. To this day, he still bore some semblance of his past failures. Well, that did not matter at the moment; he apparently had a more pressing emergency to deal with thanks to this young demon’s presence here. Reaching out for his cane leaning nearby against the wall, Kcalb leaned his weight against it, making sure the tip of it was firmly pressed into the tiled floor beneath him. This cane really did aide in his recovery – though, he was practically fully healed – but he could not help but hate that this piece of wood was only another staple of his status as an “elder.” Even Etihw was older than he was, yet no one was ever labelling them with such words! A slight huff under his breath at such irrelevant thoughts one more arising, he turned to face Yosafire. The bright-haired demon had jogged forward more, now a few feet in front of the duo. She really did seem perturbed by something, which only caused Kcalb to become a bit more cautious at what news she was bringing.

“E – Etihw! Old – Old man!” she huffed out, placing her hands on her knees as she bent forward, gasping to catch her breath. “It’s bad! Like, really, really bad!”

With eyebrows knit together, Kcalb opened his mouth to ask where the proverbial fire was, but a quick wave of Etihw’s right hand stopped him in his tracks. He could feel the light tingle of magic in the air as they sent some of their healing power off towards Yosafire, presumably in an effort to get the girl to calm down enough to fully breathe. “There you go, Yosafire,” they calmly said, though Kcalb could see a bit of concern etched across the pristine features of their face. “Breathe in and out, and you can tell us everything.”

Seemingly a bit more relaxed, Yosafire gave a steady, loud exhale as she straightened herself up. She no longer appeared as frazzled, but he could still see the fright in her eyes. “Thank you, Etihw,” she replied. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it’s super-duper important!”

Already growing a bit weary of this roundabout method of extracting information, Kcalb let out a sigh, though he softened his expression a bit more. He could see she was clearly upset about something; he might as well hear her out. “What is it this time, Yosafire?” His tone was level, but he couldn’t help but find it a bit hollow himself.

This did not seem to offend the young girl, as she boldly stated, “We have intruders back in the garden!”

That was not exactly the grand reveal that Kcalb had been expecting, nor had he exactly thought such a thing could occur without Etihw’s or his knowledge. He had not felt anything earlier – no change in the stone’s defenses that could indicate something was amiss. His eyes narrowed once more as he felt his wrapped fingers grow cold and grip around the cane. “What?” was all he managed to utter out. It had been quite some time since their world had been invaded by that one airhead, yet here Yosafire was declaring that she had apparently seen somebody or something to warrant such a statement. “Are you sure about this, Yosafire?”

“Super sure!” she loudly proclaimed. A quick moment of silence passed by, no further sounds echoing in the large chamber. With her left cheek puffed in thought, Yosafire announced, “Well, we beat him once, we’ll do it again! I can gather the others.” With a renewed vigor that was a complete turnaround from a few seconds ago, Yosafire raised her curled hands up in front of her as if prepared for battle, a determined look on her face.

Visible confusion was displayed across Kcalb’s as he tried to piece together just what in the world was going on. Everything was happening so fast. “W – Wait!” he stammered out. “I’m… lost.” He hated to be the one to admit that – Eti would most likely tease him for this one day – but he truly felt out of the loop. “Yosafire, would you please just explain what you’re talking about?”

“Ah, I think I can.”

Etihw’s voice had the devil turning to face them, their face now returning to a more peaceful expression, though he could still sense a bit of a nervousness from them. Apparently, Etihw could help elaborate on what all this meant, so he was grateful for that at the very least.

“Yes,” Etihw added. “I forgot to mention that I invited guests over today to settle something.”

Kcalb’s perpetually narrowed eyes stared at his godly counterpart, a truly perplexed expression across his face. “Guests? Settle something?” Left unspoken, he questioned why in the world Eti did the things that they did without ever notifying him ahead of time. Socially awkward enough as he was, Kcalb did not appreciate the sudden surprises that sprung up, especially when it concerned other living beings.

The god closed their eyes, a melancholic smile on their lips as they concentrated on their own thoughts and words. “Yes, I wondered if it would truly be okay to invite them over, but that man is quite persistent. He did say he wouldn’t let the other one roam free, though. I expect him to keep his promise.”

The more they spoke in riddles, the further confused Kcalb was becoming, which only led to him feeling even more anxious. A bead of sweat began to appear on his forehead as he tried to deduce this quandary. “E – Eti, what are you talking about?”

Opening their eyes once more, their black depths staring right back into Kcalb’s, Etihw kept the same stoic yet sweet smile they always had. A hint of teasing was mixed into their expression – per usual – yet Kcalb could sense that they were doing their best to keep serious. Saying, “I don’t want you to be upset by this, Kcalb,” did not help the shy and panic-stricken devil feel any modicum of peace whatsoever.

“Eh?! What’s going on?” Yosafire’s high-pitched whine brought the attention back to her once more. Kcalb had almost forgotten she was there for a moment; he was too busy trying to decipher what Etihw’s secret meeting was about. But the younger one's words were quite relevant; just what _was_ going on?

 _Could this day get any worse?!_ the devil wondered. He could already feel that creeping headache starting to spread across his head and into his temples.

As if opening a bad omen over his head from mere speculation alone, the large gray doors to the main room began to swing open. Assuming it was simply his brother getting in on the action of this supposed serious news, Kcalb simply looked on, expecting to see the gray-haired angel make his way into the room. Yosafire had also stopped in her exposition to turn at the sudden intrusion.

Neither of them expected to see the duo that they did standing in the doorway, one whose arm was spread wide open in a lavish display as he threw open the door. His familiar black hair, purple eyes, and deceptively devilish grin was all too familiar to Kcalb. He could feel his stomach churning in disgust seeing this other devil here yet again. He had met this man at that devil’s ball that he had thrown; months later, he was notified that the lavish man had taken the invading airhead to begin training him alongside Reficul. The last time he remembered physically seeing Satanick here was when he had insisted that Ivlis would no longer be a problem to his “two new pals.” Plus, he had briefly introduced Etihw to a fellow god, whom Kcalb did not enjoy either.

Now, that same flamboyant devil was once more in their world; an unwelcome surprise, to say the least. However, the biggest reveal was seeing whom this same devil’s right hand was gripping - the hand of yet another unwelcome interloper.

It was bad enough seeing Satanick, yet he had once more brought that damned flame devil – only this time, something was very different. That blasted devil that had invaded and practically destroyed their entire world was freely walking in, no longer trussed up like a prisoner like last time. In fact, he was perfectly free! Free to do whatever he pleased to this world once more, Kcalb feared. That... he would not allow. 

“You.” The only syllable that Kcalb could utter, venom dripping in his tone. Whether he meant this towards Satanick or towards Ivlis, he was not sure; both of them were deserving of his ire.

“We’re here ~ !” The lead devil announced in his sing-song voice, dragging along the clearly reluctant flame demon. Even with his golden eyes downcast towards the gray flooring, Kcalb did not trust such a creature. He knew what this man was capable of – how he had once severed his arm, impaled him, almost killed him. Of course, Kcalb would not have allowed such a thing to happen so easily. Nevertheless, he still bore the scars that reminded him of such an unforgivable act.

Turning to Etihw with an amalgamation of emotions pounding through his bloodstream and onto his face, Kcalb stuttered out, “W – What is the meaning of this?! Why are they here, Eti?!”


	6. Peaceful World

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry this has taken me forever to get out! So sorry! I get lost in several other projects I work on at once cuz I have no self control in my work process. Also, wanting to prepare a little for upcoming Mogeko March. Still, I am sorry to make you all wait. I hope to get more consistent with updating this series more than just once a month. 
> 
> Thank you - thank you for your patience!

Ivlis bit his lip as he tried to keep himself composed. Outwardly he might have looked sullen, yet inside his emotions were in chaos. Satanick appeared chipper and cordial to everyone in the room, but Ivlis could not muster the energy to even fake a pleasant aura. Hearing that familiar voice of that devil blare out sent a renewed flame rushing through Ivlis’s body. His golden eyes sparked, and he raised his gaze from the floor to stare at the creature that had taken his power from him. The man’s narrowed eyes were focused on their god, and it was almost palpable the amount of tension in the air. To see that same man – all dressed in his usual black attire – made Ivlis feel old rage threatening to rear its ugly head. He gritted his teeth tightly, feeling as if they would break, his narrowed eyes focused on Kcalb. Satanick and him might be “guests” in this world, yet it would be moronic to think that he would let his guard down. He could barely contain the growl that threatened to form in his throat.

Satanick must have noticed Ivlis’s discomfort, as he tightly squeezed Ivlis’s hand in his either in reassurance or correction. Whichever it was, Ivlis could only feel his rollercoaster of emotions beginning to make him nauseous. Satanick had promised him that things would be fine, yet being put in this situation once more – albeit it much more pleasant than last time – left Ivlis feeling that horrible sensation of betrayal all over again.

As Ivlis’s eyes went to look towards the petite god that Kcalb was questioning, a shriek erupted from the middle of the room, right where a familiar demon was standing. In fact, the one doing the yelling was the bright-haired girl decked out in red as she pointed directly at the arriving devils. “There! That’s what I was coming to warn you about, Old Man! Don’t worry; I’ve dealt with him before!”

It took Ivlis a moment to remember who exactly this brat was. That was when he saw those familiar red-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, making her large eyes look even more defined to match the frame’s color.

Red glasses….

Lost in his own thoughts that sent a familiar shock through his system, Ivlis barely registered that the girl was now heading towards him. With surprisingly quick movements, Yosafire bolted forward towards the devils, her focus on her main target – that gray and red-haired devil that had tried to destroy their world. Surprisingly, he did not make a move to retaliate. In fact, he stood there with a look of bewilderment as the girl came rushing at him. A grin spread across the girl’s face as she realized now was her chance. “Take this!” Skidding to a halt a few inches in front of Ivlis, Yosafire lifted her right leg – sending a direct kick with the tip of her red boot right between Ivlis’s legs.

Ivlis jolted when he felt the initial impact of the girl’s foot straight into his crotch, his hair practically standing on end. His teeth gritted, and he instinctively bent forward, slipping his hand from Satanick’s to hold his wounded area. The girl leapt backwards, a triumphant look on her face as she proudly began shouting out, “Look! I got him where it hurts! Take that, interloper!” Right now Ivlis did not care she was celebrating her “victory” – all he could focus on was trying to ease the throbbing in his groin as his hair began to take on a bright orange hue. He could feel his anger rising at this surprise attack. How could he have let his guard down for something as ludicrous as this to happen?!

“Hey, watch it, girlie!” Ivlis heard Satanick call out to the girl, but nothing more than that. In a way, his caring tone held a hint of laughter in it, and Ivlis could not help but turn his pained grimace towards his left to see Satanick looking back and forth between the brat and his husband. As suspected, there was a hint of a grin on Satanick’s face, as if he was holding himself back from laughing. “I need that part undamaged!”

He was seriously going to crack jokes about that topic at a time like this?! Now Ivlis’s discomfort and annoyed rage bubbled up as he glared at his so-called husband. “W – Why didn’t you stop her?!” The accusatory words left his mouth before he could take them back. The better question would be to ask why he found it funny, yet this _was_ Satanick, after all; his sense of humor and enjoyment were certainly strange even after all these years. Ivlis supposed that was one thing that would never change.

Well, he realized his hot temper was not going to fade anytime soon, either, especially if Satanick kept up these demented shenanigans of his. Just what kind of plan was this for a honeymoon anyway?!

“Ivlis, she’s clearly a kid,” Satanick stated matter-of-factly. “Well, kid in our terms anyway, I suppose.” Bending down slightly, Satanick placed his hand upon Ivlis’s back. A tingling sensation went through the flame devil’s body, and the pain evaporated as if it had never been there. Still, Ivlis felt as if the phantom throbs were still pulsing through him, and he cautiously raised himself back up with Satanick.

Immediately, his eyes spotted the smaller demon as she stood in a fighting stance, as if ready to come at him again. His eyes narrowed, though the orange was fading from his hair. A sneer on his face, Ivlis was ready to snip back at her. This did not seem to disturb the girl much, and she stood her ground. “What now? Gonna have your boyfriend help you again? Gross.”

“Husband, thank you very much ~!” Satanick happily chimed in.

Practically growling in the back of his throat, Ivlis opened his mouth to retaliate – at who, he was not sure, as his emotions were frayed and screaming to put a stop to this – yet another wave of energy could be felt in the room. Feeling where it was coming from, his gaze focused on the god, who had their hand extended forward towards the spunky demon girl. A field of energy seemed to surround her, leaving the feisty being flustered as she questioned what was happening. “Who? What? Where?” Her head shook in several directions as if looking for the cause. She let out a gasp of, “Whoa!” when she began to slowly be lifted up into the air. A slight shimmer glowed around her as if she was being transported in a bubble. Gently, she was moved over the heads of the visitors and placed behind them, right outside the large entrance. With her feet now placed on solid ground once more, the stunned demon simply stared into the room. Her facial expression could only be described as shock and mild amazement at her flight. The iridescence faded from around her, and she simply looked onward with mouth agape.

The god’s soft voice was the first to speak now, yet Ivlis kept his eyes on the rowdy kid. “Yosafire, thank you for alerting us that our guests have arrived. Now you best be off. You don’t want to risk falling behind on your school work now, would you?”

Mouth still agape, the demon simply looked onward as she sputtered out, “B – B – But – .” She soon faded from sight as the doors slowly began to close with a mild thump thanks to their grandiose size.

A deafening silence filled the room now that the noise had been eliminated. A slight chill ran through Ivlis as he felt the oppressive air around him. Turning back, he looked over towards the god, whom had lowered their hand and now had their eyes fixed on both Ivlis and Satanick.

Memories of the past flooded through him as he recalled the last time he had seen this strange duo of a god and devil. He could remember the narrowed black eyes of the god as they stared at Ivlis and his companions when they had to retreat. Cockily, Ivlis had gotten the chance to launch that devil off a cliff as a final “parting gift.” Then had begun the trek back to the Flame world…. Then began the road that Ivlis’s life had inevitably taken….

Now, this same pair stood before him as he was once more unwillingly brought into their presence.

He still questioned why Satanick had done this to him….

“Etihw.” The rough, almost gravelly voice of the tall devil had all eyes turning to Kcalb, who’s own eyes were set unwavering upon Ivlis and his companion. There was not a look of pure hatred there, but an aura of malice and suspicion were tangible in the air. It was beyond clear that this man was not as gracious a host as the god was; even that, Ivlis doubted.

Kcalb continued speaking with his gaze remaining focused on the devils only feet in front of him. “Why are they here? What purpose is there in having them come to our world? They… don’t belong here.”

Etihw turned their dark eyes towards Kcalb now, their expression somewhat placid while also strong. “That is my fault, Kcalb. I should have told you about this sooner, but it slipped my mind.”

“T – That’s not something you let slip your mind, Eti!” Kcalb stuttered, his head quickly swiveling to meet their eyes, only to snap right back to keep Ivlis and Satanick within line of sight. “Again, tell me exactly why they are here?” 

“Ah, I can explain that part!” Satanick chipperly announced. The smile across his face and his raised left arm in the air was like that of a child who knew the answer to the aforementioned question. “You see, Ivlis and I are married now.” The devil lowered his left hand only to grip onto Ivlis’s left wrist. He brought it forward, as if presenting Ivlis’s hand and the ring he wore to highlight this fact. Ivlis gasped at the sudden showcase while Satanick continued his jovial speech. “As you can see, that means that two worlds have now joined together in agreement. A peace treaty, if you will.”

As if in unison, both Ivlis and Kcalb looked at their respective partners before looking back towards the other. An unspoken animosity was an understatement to say the least.

Ivlis yanked his wrist out of Satanick’s grasp. “Is this what this is about? A stupid peace treaty?” He tried to keep his voice calm and level-headed, but he already could feel the anger bubbling up inside of him. “You expect me to now become all “buddy-buddy” with these people? That’s a laugh!”

Satanick simply stared back at Ivlis, a smirk still across his lips while a somewhat annoyed expression lingered in his façade. “I never said that, Ivlis. What I said is that now that our worlds have agreed to not cause disturbances with the other, don’t you think it’s time to do the same for this one?” He didn’t need to say it, but in those deep purple depths, Ivlis could see Satanick wanted to say more. His mind swam in confusion as to what, but he felt he somewhat understood, if ever so slightly. Nonetheless, Ivlis still highly disagreed with all of this!

“For once, I agree with this moron.” The devil dressed in all black voiced his opinion. “A treaty with the likes of his world and him will never last. I do not trust them in the slightest.” His dark gaze never left Ivlis’s – deep depths stared back into fiery ones, neither wavering. Silence filled the room with its suffocating air.

“Ehhh?” Satanick whined, his tone almost mocking in nature, which only further served to irritate the already irate devils. “That’s such a shame. We came all this way to enjoy ourselves – along with a small side of business – and we are turned away.”

“As if I care,” Kcalb replied, his voice unwavering and icy in its response. Still his eyes bore into Ivlis’s.

Ivlis gritted his teeth, a snarl rumbling in his chest. He hated this! He did not want to be the one to back down in this silent battle, but he could feel his already dampened, drained mood only further dragging him down. “I’m out of here,” he huffed, turning on his heel. The hand that clamped onto his wrist was no longer a surprise; Ivlis figured Satanick would be a hindrance to him. Ivlis looked over his shoulder into the face of his husband – this idiotic, insufferable man. He simply pressed his lips together into a thin line, hoping his expression would say everything he wanted to. Logically he knew Satanick was not going to let him go, just like earlier when having arrived in this colorful world.

“Come now, Ivlis,” Satanick admonished him. “You haven’t even tried to negotiate or talk things out. Is that any way to behave – like a child?”

The devil lord’s eyes lit up now, as a sudden thought must have occurred to him. He swiveled back towards the god and devil duo, not letting his grip on Ivlis slacken. “Speaking of children, we actually have a son now! Can you believe it? I’m a proud father again.”

The delighted grin on the man’s face was enough to make Kcalb nauseous with a look of disgust and terror mingled in his features. He shuddered to imagine what the offspring of these two would be. Both were horrible, idiotic demons that Kcalb would never trust in all eternity. What kind of combination would the two have made? He tried to hold back the nausea at the mental image that was trying to form in his mind.

Speaking of children….

Kcalb’s eyes widened and his heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as he remembered his own child – the precious girl Etihw and him had together. When was the last time he’d seen her today? She had gone out to the gardens earlier to play. Of course, he never wanted to leave Silhouette unsupervised. Even with the garden having remained peaceful for decades, it still left the father with a bitter taste in his mouth whenever Silhouette would wander off on her own. She was too carefree and naïve like her mother. Reluctantly, Kcalb had slowly been trying to loosen the reigns of letting Silhouette go off on her own as she pleased; after all, their world was a peaceful one.

Well, he thought it had been until these interlopers showed up.

A sickening feeling washed over the tall man as he felt his heart beginning to pound faster in his chest. Breaking his gaze off of Ivlis, Kcalb jerked his head towards his companion. “Eti! When was the last time you saw Silhouette?” His voice was barely audible as his voice stuck in his throat. He had no solid proof that Silhouette was anything but well, yet he could not help but feel the trepidation pumping through his veins.

A confused expression on their face, Etihw turned to Kcalb. Their feet slightly hovered above the ground as they floated in typical fashion. “Hmm? I last saw her in the garden out back. Why do you look so worried, Kcalb?”

As if fate was playing a cruel joke on him, a sudden high-pitched scream echoed from somewhere outside – distant yet somehow still near. Both parents stared at each other as they realized exactly whom this voice belonged to. A small look of shock appeared on Etihw’s face, only further causing Kcalb to panic. Anger and fear meshed perfectly into its own manifestation as Kcalb whirled to face the two devils standing in their previous position. Neither of them had moved, and both of them had clearly heard the scream, looks of confusion on their faces.

None of that mattered to Kcalb in this present moment! Right now, the important thing was what exactly had startled his daughter. The suspicion lie in these so called “visitors.”


End file.
